Posted on September 04 2019
In honor of the start of their 100th(!) season, here are a handful of the countless memories all of us shared growing up Bears fans, from the obvious to the obscure.
Like most children of the 80s, it all started with:
I personally do not remember much about the actual game as a five-year-old, but asking dad to call us downstairs when the Super Bowl Shuffle came on is etched in my memory.
We all, of course, began to idolize Walter Payton. We couldn't get enough of those oversized McDonald's cards...
...or the complete HUTCH uniforms in a box (with a mini football)...
...or ROOS!
We also loved the punky QB and his controversial headband...
...and the fear that Iron Mike Singletary put in opponents just by looking at them.
There are specific games that come to mind when looking back (once old enough to remember specific games). For example, November 27th,1988: Neal Anderson essentially beats the Packers by himself, with two touchdowns, including an 80-yard TD run, they beat the packers 16-0 (proving he has the right to have his own Starting Lineup).
There was The Fog Bowl (also 1988):
Our dominance began to fade as the players from the 85 Bears slowly aged and moved on, but there was always someone to root for. In 1990, Mark Carrier set an NFL record with 10 interceptions as a rookie, earning defensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors (he also returned my fan mail with a signed 1991 Fleer card). Speaking of cards, how about James 'Robocop' Thornton (and these 1989 Pro Set Cards)?
We also became a national sensation! But what was so funny about the way they spoke?
We loved Ditka, the good, the bad and the ugly.
Some lean years followed, that is, until #54 was drafted in 2000. A Hall of Fame career, we are going on seven years since Brian Urlacher retired, and you can still see hundreds of his jerseys around the city on gameday (along with dozens of his Hall of Fame-worthy billboards).
2001 saw a seven-year playoff drought end, on the backs of Shane Matthews and this guy (we love you Jim Miller).
We all witnessed the unthinkable from Mike Brown, and it was especially entertaining watching with our Cleveland friends:
Unfortunately, that playoff appearance was a short-lived one and done, and we had to sit through a disappointing season away from Soldier Field in Champaign while our home was being turned into a spaceship. But we did get to witness Henry Burris!
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It wasn't long before we got really excited for Sexy Rexy (this video didn't exactly age well)
And then...Devin Hester happened:
With this epic postgame rant:
There was Reggie Bush taunting Urlacher and flipping into the endzone in the 2006 playoffs (before losing to us in epic fashion on our way to Super Bowl XLI).
Of course we all remember where we were when this happened:
No flag. 92 yards. All of us jumping up and down on the couch as we watched from home. This recent Tribune "oral history" has an amazing recount of it all.
Unfortunately, we came up short in that Super Bowl (lousy rain). BUT someday soon we will get the chance to relive the excitement we felt watching Devin Hester return that opening kick, coupled with the joy of celebrating a title as one city united. These Super Bowl shufflers are still waiting.
In the meantime, we will be watching Peanut Tillman highlights.
PS @Bears: Please bring back this logo with the extra neck fur.
What's your favorite, most obscure Chicago Bears memory? Let us know in the comments below. While you're at it, take a look at our full Da Bear collection here (vibrating football game not for sale, but if we win it all in year 100...)
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